Papers
by JimberlyShipper
Summary: Elliot is ready to sign them papers. 30th in The Songs of EO. Takes place after the season 12 finale.


_**Disclaimer: SVU and its characters are not mine. Neither is Usher's **__Papers. __**Elliot realizes it's time to sign papers with Kathy. Maybe get him some Olivia. Hope ya'll enjoy. Read and review! This is the 30th story in **__The Songs of EO._

Papers

By Julia

_Oh, oh, oh, papers_

_oh, oh, oh, papers_

_I can't get to work on time_

_can't believe the words to her I just said_

_But who the hell argue and fight like dogs_

_at 6 in the mornin' I know it's gonna be some _

_more shit tonight_

_Our pastor's callin tellin me I done went too far_

_And I'm seen around town and my friends can't _

_recognize me 'cause I took a chance on love_

_It's like I'm dyin' _

Elliot Stabler stood in the middle of his living room. He felt like he'd just been slapped. He hated that it had come to this. He turned to his wife, Kathy. He had just left his department at work after several years of being there, and then he had had to come home to his wife accusing him of adultery. He didn't know what to say. He looked at her. "Kathy, you know I just had to transfer departments. I got so burnt out. You are supposed to be there for me. I have tried to do my best by you. I don't know what more you'd want from me! I did not cheat on you with my best friend." He spat.

Kathy didn't know what to say to her husband. She knew that things had been hard with them for a long time, but she knew that Elliot was in love with his partner. Olivia Benson had worked with him for 13 years. That's when their trouble had really started. Kathy had never really liked Olivia. She had thought that even though Olivia hadn't even really tried to get Elliot, Kathy knew that if she and Elliot split up, Olivia would take Elliot. Kathy knew that Elliot thought the sun and the moon set around Olivia Benson. Kathy said, "Right, El. Don't lie to me anymore. It's truly pointless. I know that you love her. You have for 13 years. Ever since you were first partnered with her. I don't want to compete with her anymore."

Elliot felt himself getting pretty angry. He picked up a pillow and heaved it across the room, and it knocked over a table lamp. It fell to the floor, breaking. They both jumped at the sound. It sounded like a gunshot. He said, "Kathy, every one of my friends has been able to tell that I've been stressed out lately. Olivia guessed that you and I are having problems. She guessed correctly. I think it's time for you and I to be parting ways. I don't like the way you are making me feel. I am not this guy, Kathy. And yes, I do love Olivia. I can't help that. I have never cheated on you. I was not in control of me falling in love with her. And she doesn't even really know. I'm sure that she suspects, but she wouldn't try anything, either. I'm packing a bag and I'm out of here. Really, Kathy, I thought we were going to make it."

_For you I gave my heart_

_and turned my back against the world_

_'Cause you were my girl, girl, girl_

_I done damn near lost my mama, I done _

_been through so much drama _

_I done turned into the man that I never_

_thought I'd be_

_I'm ready to sign them papers, papers, papers_

_I done took all I can take but you leave me no options_

_girl I can't deny how much I love you_

_I done gave up everything I had to as hard as it is_

_I'm afraid I gotta say_

Elliot sat outside Olivia Benson's apartment building. He had thought about coming here. He shouldn't have. He had nowhere else to go. He just wanted to sleep on her couch. He needed a place to think. He hated that things between him and Kathy had gotten this bad. He had been in love with her at some point, and he didn't know how or when things had gone downhill. He got out of his car and headed up to the building.

Olivia opened her apartment door. She was surprised to see him standing there. They hadn't spoken since he had walked into Cragen's office and told him that he had wanted to transfer out of SVU. Olivia stepped back and let him in. Closing the door, she said, "What's up, El? Why are you here?" She then noticed the duffel bag that he set on the floor by his feet. "What's with the bag?" She asked.

Elliot should not feel butterflies in his stomach right now. He replied, "I left Kathy. She accused me of cheating on her. And you know we'd been having problems. I just, I couldn't take it anymore. I need for it to be over. I need to have some sort of closure. I can't be the man that I'm turning out ot be when she's around." He said. He almost hung his head in his hands. He totally hated this situation and wished there was an easier way out of it. He almost wished that they hadn't stayed together as long as they had. It had been a waste of time. He had loved her, and now it was over.

Olivia wished she knew what to say to that. She knew that she had been trying to get Kathy to stay. She was _always_ trying to get Kathy to stay. Olivia wasn't so sure why. She had to be crazy. She said, "El, I totally don't know what you want me to do right now. I don't know what you're doing here."

Elliot replied, "I had nowhere to go. So I came here. I'm sorry if it oversteps boundaries or something. I just really needed my best friend." He wiped a couple of wayward tears off his face. Olivia had been the first person he had thought of. If that was wrong, he didn't really care.

Olivia gestured for towards the couch, and they both sat. She put her hand in Elliot's, not caring how it looked. She _was_ his best friend, and she would help him through this. She gave his hand a squeeze. "I'm sorry that this happened, Elliot. I know how much you loved Kathy." She said.

"Yeah, I did." Elliot was biting his tongue. He didn't think this was the time to volunteer information. It would complicate things.

_I'm ready to sign them papers, papers, papers_

_I done took all I can take, but you leave me no options _

_girl, oh, oh, oh, papers_

_oh, oh, oh, papers_

_I'm losin my mind can't figure out what's _

_wrong or right, I know it's you I love, _

_but then I also know it's you I don't like_

_You claim you hate who I was, but that's _

_the reason you're here now, you think I don't_

_know what's up, but sweetheart, that's what _

_ruined us_

The next morning, he awoke on Liv's couch, a hangover making his head pound. He and Liv had drank a lot the night before. He didn't actually remember what had happened. He sat up, _very_ slowly. He was trying to not make the hangover give him cause to throw up. That's when there was a loud knocking on Olivia's front door. Elliot groaned, but when there was no sign of life from Liv, up he got. He opened the door to reveal Kathy. "What are you _doing_ here?" He asked, his mouth dropping open in shock.

Kathy had tears pouring down her cheeks. She looked sorry that she had accused him of what she had. She looked as if she wanted him back. "I'm sorry, Elliot. I don't know what I was thinking. I don't even care if you slept with Olivia last night. Just come home." She babbled.

Elliot shook his head. "No, Kathy. I told you. I need us to be finished." He also had new information on something that she thought he didn't know. "Kathy, I also know that Eli isn't mine. I never felt right about it, and so one afternoon, Eli and I went down to the doctor, and had a test done. I made sure that you didn't find out, I paid with a money order. I am fine with continuing to raise him, but Eli's real father deserves to know. That's why you accusing me of adultery made me leave. You let me believe Eli was mine when he wasn't. Why did you do that, Kathy?" He asked, tears falling down his face.

Kathy hardly knew what to say. She had done it to keep him, and she hadn't wanted the real father in her life. She had been being one of "those" girls. A man trapper. It didn't feel good.

_I ain't afraid to say _

_I got needs but the only time you here _

_for me is when the bottle's poppin and everything_

_is sweet, but I, I'm tired of sleeping in the other room_

_spending them long nights trying to figure out_

_what in the hell in my heart I ain't do right_

_For you I gave my heart and turned my back_

_against the world, 'cause you were my girl, girl, girl_

_I done damn near lost my mama, I done been _

_through so much drama, I done turned into the man_

_I never thought I'd be _

_I'm ready to sign them papers, papers, papers_

_I done took all I can take, but you leave me no options_

_girl I can't deny how much I love you I done gave_

_up everything I had to as hard as it is I'm afraid _

_I gotta say_

Elliot almost yelled when she didn't answer. "Why didn't you answer?" He asked, teeth clenched. "I expect the truth, too, Kathy. Don't just tell me what you think I want to hear. Why did you lie to me and pretend Eli was mine?" Liv sleeping was the only thing that stopped his voice from climbing.

Kathy wasn't sure if she should tell him the truth. She was very worried about what he would say. She finally managed to say, "I was trying to keep you for myself. I didn't want the father back but I wanted you back." She bit her lip.

_I'm ready to sign them papers, papers, papers_

_I done took all I can take, but you leave me no options_

_girl, oh, oh, oh, papers_

_oh, oh, oh, papers_

_I can't keep livin' this life I said I was leavin for_

_the last time I'm ready, ready, ready, ready_

_I done damn near lost my mama I done been_

_through so much drama I done near turned into_

_the man I never thought I'd be_

_I'm ready to sign them papers, papers, papers_

_I done took all I can take, but you leave me no options_

_girl_

Elliot felt rage welling up inside of him. He should have been surprised, but he wasn't. He usually expected behavior like this from her. He shook his head as he counted to ten. He didn't want to scream and wake Livvy. "I'm not saying it again. WE ARE SO DONE." He enounciated each word. "I will NOT be with someone that could do that to me." He snapped, and shut the door in her face. He was so angry with her. He took deep breaths to stop himself from going off. He glanced towards Olivia's bedroom. Maybe he'd get what he wanted. Life was full of possibilites.

_**Author's note: Not sure what fic is next, may be working on the fifth fic in my SVU series, **__Changes__**. I do have some more fics for **__The Songs of EO__** planned. Happy reading and thanks for hanging in! Oh yeah, I didn't use all of the lyrics for the song, which for me is rare. **_


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